Education for girls

Laureaat Freedom from Fear Award 2014

Malala Yousafzai Laureaat Freedom from Fear Award 2014

Malala Yousafzai is known for her education and women's rights activism in the Swat Valley, where the Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. In early 2009, at the age of 11/12, Malala wrote a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls. On 9 October 2012, Malala was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning home on a school bus. This attack and the constant threats on her life did not change her aims and ambitions. She is continuing her fight for education and children’s and women’s rights.

In 2013 Malala was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and is the youngest nominee in history. In 2013 she received the Sakharov Prize awarded by the European Parliament.

Hundreds and thousands of people were killed many of whom chose not to speak out because of the fear of terrorism which is worse than a traditional war. In terrorism you do not know where and when you and your family can be targeted. Death follows you constantly like a shadow.

At that time, I realisedI had two options. Either to keep silent and wait to be killed or to speak out and then be killed. I chose the second one.

Dear brothers and sisters, for me peace is not only the absence of war but the absence of fear.

Peace is a world of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

I am very happy, there are many people in this world who are there to support me and show me love and hope. There are millions of people who want peace, justice and equality.

All over the world today, as I stand here talking to you, there are children being denied their basic human right to education. We must give them courage to overcome fear, we must give them hope to step forward and we must raise up their our voices so they can be heard.

Today I raise my voice for my Nigerian sisters who are still suffering from the imprisonment of Boko Haram. I empathise with them, their parents and their communities. And I am hopeful that my sisters will come back home safely, as millions of people have raised their voice for their safe return.